Monday, September 21, 2015

Change Changes Us!

9/21/15

Bonjour tout le monde!!

I hope you are all doing well and that life is beautiful for you! It was an amazing week here in Papeari! Throughout the week we had investigators and members calling us with references! We met lots of new people and were happy to help them start to find their way to the best path that life offers! It is amazing learning about people and their lives and their experiences! As missionaries, people open up almost automatically and with the spirit, we have the blessing of being the best psychologists in the world! Using our medicine of the gospel and its truths! I am excited for these investigators and I know that God has prepared something amazing for them! On Friday, we also had the marriage of Bayard and Djelma with the baptism of this couple and their two oldest daughters that followed! What a dream! This is what every missionary wants to see! An entire home transfer into something better! It was such a happy day and their testimonies are so strong and touching! We got to know this family through their youngest daughter! She used to live in the city with her aunt and went to school there, coming home sometimes on the weekends. While she was there, Heinaiki took the lessons with the missionaries! Then, not too long ago the parents decided that their youngest daughter needed to come back and live with them. And then we showed up! We continued the missionary lessons and she was baptized a couple weeks later! Through the change in this daughter, the grandmother also followed her example and was baptized the same day. Then slowly one by one the other four members of this family decided to do the same thing! I know that this is the thing that Heavenly Father had planned for them! Everything happens for a reason! I love this family and am so thankful to have helped them find the truth! We also had a baptism on Saturday, for Heikeani and for Araia! These two young girls are very smart and learned and accepted the gospel quickly! We all need to be a little more like children, they are full of goodness! These two girls also opened the door for their families who also take the lessons right now and are working to change themselves to be ready for baptism! On Saturday for their baptism, we had a surprise visit from our Stake President and from President Sinjoux (a member of the seventy). This was way cool! They talked at the baptism and afterwards congratulated us for the success and miracles that had occurred during our companionship together! This was so cool! The spirit was so strong and I know that these men are priesthood holders called of God! We got transfer calls on Saturday night and things will be changing! My companion will be staying in Papeari and training a new French missionary! I am so proud of her and her progress! She is a powerful missionary! I will be going to an area called Mahina with Sœur Statsny as a Sister Training Leader! I already know Sœur Statsny really well and am so blessed to be her companion! I am excited for this change, but at the same time I am heart broken to be leaving my ward family of Papeari! Miracles were seen, good work was accomplished, hearts were changed, and eternal relationships were started! The Church is true and I am so honored to be here representing our Savior, Jesus Christ! I want to wear out my life in this work! I love you all and hope you will have a great week! Thanks again for everything! JE VOUS AIME!!

Love, Sœur Kofford

Araia and Heikeani's baptism!

Our Bishop, Stake President, and President Sinjoux of the seventy all showed up to our baptism! So glad to have such great support from priesthood holders!

Dream of every missionary! This whole family will be eternal one day thanks to this amazing gospel! The parents and two oldest daughters were baptized on Friday and the youngest daughter was baptized two weeks earlier!